Man denies stealing great-aunt's money

EAST LOS ANGELES - A Pico Rivera man pleaded not guilty Friday to allegedly stealing about $180,000 from his 85-year-old great-aunt when he was overseeing her financial affairs.

Detective Christopher Derry of the Sheriff's Commercial Crimes Bureau said $60,000 of the money was recovered.

Sammy Acosta Jr, 43, was arraigned Friday at East Los Angeles Superior Court. Court officials said his next court date is Dec. 19.

Detectives said Acosta was charged with two felony counts of theft from a senior. The charges include enhancements that he allegedly took property valued at over $150,000.

"The victim saved this money all her life," Derry said.

The alleged thefts happened in 2009 and 2010.

Derry said the victim suffered a stroke while at home in East Los Angeles on August 2009. After a month in the hospital, he said the woman was released to the care of Acosta.

She gave him power of attorney so he could pay her bills and oversee her financial affairs, according to the detective.

In November 2009, Derry said Acosta transferred the victim's $180,000 to his accounts. Within an 8-month period, Acosta allegedly withdrew $45,000 in cash.

Derry said Acosta used the money to pay for car insurance, on vacations to Lake Tahoe and Sequoia National Park and at different retail outlets.

Acosta gave investigators an explanation.

"He claimed he spent some of his own money on her prior to being given power of attorney," Derry said, adding that the Pico Rivera man didn't have receipts.

Acosta claimed that the money taken from the victim's account was to reimburse himself for the amount he had spent on her, according to Derry.

In July 2010, he said the victim and her 81-year-old sister from Montebello found out her bank accounts were empty. They hired a lawyer to recover the money.

Investigators alleged Acosta used $17,000 of the victim's money to pay an attorney to defend himself.

Derry said Acosta lost the civil suit in 2011 and that the victim's attorney recovered about $60,000 of her money.

The sheriff's department, which has been investigating Acosta, arrested him Wednesday, at his home. Booking records Friday afternoon showed he was being held at the Inmate Reception Center on a $170,000 bail.